Every
manufacturer, who wants to succeed today, needs to enable creativity and
innovation. Even though the same applies for large manufacturers, the survival
of the small and medium manufacturer (SME) is always a bigger challenge.
Since 2014,
manufacturers qualify as a SME if their annual sales turnover is less than RM50
million and/or employs less than 200 full time employees. SMEs are the backbone
of the Malaysian economy. These SMEs are important because they provide
significant employment opportunities and create a source of qualified talent for
larger manufacturers.
Importance of enabling creativity
Creativity
and innovation is what allows one SME to stand out above the rest, otherwise
all would manufacture and sell the same types of products. The competitive edge
of any manufacturer improves with innovation and results in dividends that
include internal motivation and engagement.
Employers
need to understand that too many rules and procedures discourage employees so
they need to allow them to implement initiatives that will offer the business
the agility and push creativity forward.
How can Small and Medium Manufacturers achieve
this?
Some
employers believe in working from within the company, while others speak of the
importance of sharing ideas from beyond the bounds of the enterprise. For this, manufactures need to create a work environment that inspires creativity and innovation. Now, how to create that work environment is the next question.
Sharing
with others can include collaboration, sharing of knowledge, networking all
which can bring in some new and fresh ideas.
However, if this path is chosen, it is important to protect the internal
data and secrets of the enterprise.
If internal
creativity is preferred then, the team can be creatively challenged to come up
with ideas. This needs to be done in the right measure so that the effects of
the challenge don’t lead to stress, or sometimes boredom, if not challenged
enough.
Thinking
outside the box will allow manufacturers in Malaysia to meet the demands of the
global economy through the creation of innovative products.
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